Fight Week Previews: TUF 10 Finale, Part III

We've covered the undercard and we've covered the co-main events, now the time has come to turn our attention to the fights featuring the cast of The Ultimate Fighter. First up, a Kimbo rant.

While I don't begrudge Dana White for capitalizing on the income potential of Kevin Ferguson, we're at a point now where it needs to be about more than the money he brings in. The dude needs to show something in the cage, giving credence to the tremendous opportunity he is receiving.

Otherwise, it's a farce and the hype and marketability of the man called Kimbo will die and take some of the UFC's credibility with it.

Onto the fights...

Jon Madsen (3-0-0) vs. Justin Wren (10-1-0)

Wrestler versus wrestler here, though the chances of it turning into a slugfest like often happens when similar styles clash are fairly low.

Madsen is 100% based on the ground and Wren showed in his fight against "Big Country" that he's got about four minutes of serious standup in him before the gas tank reads empty.

When they get to the ground - and it will happen quickly - Wren is the bigger of the two and has decent enough submission skills to put away his former teammate.

Darrill Schoonover (10-0-0) vs. James McSweeney (3-4-0)

Somehow, the UFC website has McSweeney showing a record of 12-5-0... interesting.

The Brit proved to be a bit of a douche on the show, though he looked better early against Roy Nelson than he did in his wind-sucking contest against Wes Shivers. "Titties" beat the last guy picked and then got owned by Marcus Jones.

Honestly, this is one of those, "Well, they made it to the semis so we should give them a fight on the Finale" type deals that I could certainly do without.

"Kimbo Slice" (3-1-0) vs. Houston Alexander (9-4-0, 1 NC)

For a guy portrayed as a serious tough guy, Kimbo sure had a solid list of excuses for not stepping in for Matt Mitrione when Dana gave him the opportunity. And for all the talk about his hands, the only guy he's ever knocked out clean was a 43-year-old Tank Abbott.

Houston Alexander dropped Keith Jardine.

Now, "The Assassin" was also on the receiving end of the fastest knockout in UFC history courtesy of current middleweight James "The Sandman" Irvin, making him the perfect opponent for the glorified puncher with a greater drawing power than Fedor Emelianenko.

This ends early and for the sake of the sport and all things right in the world, I hope Alexander is the one left standing.

By the way, nothing like having Kimbo fight after Frankie Edgar... one is a win or two away from a title shot, the other is Kimbo friggin' Slice.

Roy "Big Country" Nelson (13-4-0) vs. Brendan Schaub (4-0-0)

The heavy favorite going in - emphasis on the heavy - Nelson has coasted into the finals as many expected, easily beating Kimbo and punching James McSweeney in the mouth the second he got too big for his britches.

Many people liked Schaub going in and he too has done nothing to disappoint, choking out Demico Rogers, knocking out Jon Madsen and escaping the mount against Marcus Jones en route to dropping "The Darkness" in the semis.

Nelson is still the favorite and rightfully so; he has the pedigree and the professional experience, but don't count Schaub out. He's a terrific all-around athlete and has the benefit of being training with the best team in the business.

As always, Fight Day means Punch Drunk Predictions, so come back tomorrow to find out who I'm picking.